Jodie Odiete
But unfortunately the winner will be decided not by who is the best but by who can garner the most votes.
Clearly, it seems that Africans and most especially Nigerians have an apathy towards voting. We would rather analyse and determine who the winner will be and leave the people with ulterior motives to go out and vote.
That is what we do during national elections and that is what the music lovers did to Jodie. Many people have said they believed she is so good and so they felt their vote will not really matter. She was going to win anyway even if they voted or not. But Alas! The best contestant had the least votes and is on her way home.
I hope we learn a lesson from this. Lets always put our hands and our feet where our heart is.
Meanwhile, at the risk of sounding narrow minded, there may be a purpose for her loosing out. She is a Christian girl and I do not really see why someone who loves God should allow him or herself to be called an idol.
A chrisitian in main stream music industry runs a high risk of compromising their values. Dress code, night parties, language, and the new crowd the person needs to associate with will change. The international star scene is all about self adulation. The more scandalous the lifestyle, the more successful the star - with very few exceptions.
In Nigeria, you can still build a successful career if you boast about your relationship with Christ. It's not the same on the international scene where the west african idol will be launched.
It will take real strength of character for a person to be hero worshipped and retain a proper view of his/her relationship with God. Many don't have it, maybe Timi has it i don't know. But the pressure to forget ones values will be so great. The recording company is definitely not Father Christmas and will promote whatever it takes to get a return on their investment.
Starting off in the church choir may not help so much. A good number of the 'music stars' who learnt how to sing in church eventually put that aside and faced the world. Witney Houston is a very good example. I am told she was in the same choir as Cece Winnans.
Finally, i believe there is something about a name. If you are called an idol often enough you may begin to believe that you are actually one. And that is very dangerous!